Valve key assembly



Feb. 5, 1946. 'M s. BROCKMAN 2,394,143.

VALVE KEY AS SEMBLY Filed July 26, 1944 F1315 INVENTR yaf/Mw PatentedFeb. 5, 1946 VALVE KEY ASSEMBLY Morton S. Broekman, Cleveland, Ohio,assigner to Grossman Music Co., Cleveland, Ohio Application July 26,1944, Serial No. 546,597 11 Claims. (Cl. 84380) This invention relatesto keys and particularly to valve keys used on a musical windinstrument, such as the clarinet, flute or saxophone.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a key which utilizesa combined'pintle pin and spring and which is quickly and easily mountedon the instrument lbody, and which may be quickly and easily removedtherefrom for replacement or repair.

A further object is to use in a valve of this type a unique spring whichutilizes its lateral tension for retaining the pintle pin portion inplace and its vertical tension for engaging and retaining the key memberin its normal position.

Another object is to provide a substantially hollow key body whichpivots on and practically conceals the fulcrum post on which it ismounted and which body is very durable and is in a Shape which lendsitself to unusual ornamentation and design. y

'I'hese and other objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following description and claims, together with theaccompanying drawing in which like parts are referred to and indicatedby like reference characters and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a musical wind instrumentshowing this novel key mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional View of a part of the windinstrument and showing a side of the body portion of the novel key andits combination pin and Spring mounted thereon;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the body portion of the key member;

.Figure 4 is a bottom view of the body portion of the key member takenalong the line and in the direction of the arrow 4--4 of the Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view of the key member takenalong the line and in the direction of the arrow 5-5 of the Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the body portion of the key member and itscombination pin and spring, the view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrow 6-6 of the Figure 2;

Figure "I is a plan view of the combination unique pin and springmember;

Figure 8 is an end view of the pin and spring member shown in the Figure7;

Figure 9 is a side view thereof;

Figure 10 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of themusical wind instrument and showing a side view of a modified form ofkey and its combination pin and spring mounted thereon;

Figure -11 is a bottom view of a. portion of the 2| which is hollow andmodified form of the key and combination pin and spring used therewith,the View taken along the line and in the direction of the arrow l of theFigure 10; A

Figure 12 is a side View of the modified form of the combination pin andspring member;

Figure 13 is a plan view of the modified form of spring;

Figure 14 is an end view thereof; and

Figure 15 illustrates the four major steps of assembling the key and thecombination pin and spring, and automatically mounting the same on theinstrument.

It should be noted at the outset that this novel key is intended to beformed or molded out of plastic material and is designed for use on awind type musical instrument, such as the one partly shown and indicatedby the reference character |19 in the Figure l of the drawing. Thisinstrument has a series of tone holes of which tone hole I6 only isshown. Spaced a short distance from the tone hole I6 there is mounted ormade integral therewith the fulcrum post I8. The fulcrum post I8 may berectangular in cross section and should have a rounded top to permitthis key to laterally rock thereon. The fulcrum post I8 should also havea small hole or perforation |'I' therethrough for the hereinafterdescribed mounting pin.

The key member 20 has a central body portion open at its bottom. Theinside top of the hollow 24 should also be rounded in order to smoothlyengage the rounded top of the fulcrum post |8. The two side walls of thebody portion 2| 'should have aligned holes 26 therethrough and whichshould match and align with the lateral perforation of the fulcrum post.The bottom of the body member 2|, and especially the inside edgesadjacent to the hollow portion-24, should be flared as indicated by thereference character 25. The flared edges permit the key member to rockon the fulcrum post and also facilitate the quick and easy mounting ofthe key as hereinafter described.

Extending forwardly from one end of the body member 2| there is shown anarm portion 22 on the end of which is a closure or cap for the tone hole|6. Extending in the other direction from the bodygmember 2| there isthe finger lever 23 for operating the key. It should be noted at thispoint that the closure arm and operating lever may be on the same sideof the body member 2|, if desired.

The outer parts of the aligned holes 26 in the body portion side wallsare flared, as indicated by the reference character 21. Extending down-Wardly and through to the outer bottom side edges of the body memberthere are small channels or grooves 28 and extending rearwardly alongthe bottom edges and connecting with the vertical channels 28 aresubstantially horizontal channels 29.

The combination pin and spring used with the preferred form of key, andthe one illustrated in the Figures 7, 8 and 9, is a simple wire springwhich is capable of being spread or opened as shown in the Figures 7 and8. Its tension is such that it resists lateral distortion or deformationat its central point or the point where the two aligned side portionsunite. The longitudinally aligned pin portions 3| which are separablemay be separated as indicated by the dotted lines marked by thecharacter 3|a. When so separated, the two inner ends of the pin portion3| which normally meet inside the perforated fulcrum post may be clippedor mounted in the vertical grooves 28 of the body member 2|. The twoaligned pin portions 3| are made to abut on a bias as shown in theFigures 6, 7 and 8, instead of straight end to end. This is made so thatthe sides 32, 33 and 34 must be spread farther' apart in order to insertor to remove the tapered pin or pivot portions 3|. There is lesslikelihood, therefore, for the pin-spring to be accidentally removed orlost. The two aligned vertical and horizontal portions 32 and 33 of thespring form elbow-like portions Whichnt in the grooves 28 and 29 of thekey, as shown when finally assembled in the Figures 1, 2, 6 and l5.

The Figure 15 shows the various steps in assembling the instrument. Thedisassembled parts are shown in the Figure 15. At the stage indicated bythe letter B, the rcombination pin and spring 30 is spread or opened andthe two inner ends of the longitudinally aligned pintle pins 3| aresnapped on the key body somewhere in the vertical groove 28 below theholes 26 and above the channels 29. The assembled key and pin spring isthen placed over the fulcrum post |8,

as shown in the stage indicated by the letter C.

As soon as the elbows formed by the junctions of the portions 32 and 33strike the top surface of the instrument proper, the pins 3| which areunder lateral tension move upward and into the nared portion 2`| of theopening 26. The lateral tension of the spring then causes the two pins3| to move inward and upward in the beveled or flared portion 2'! andthen to automatically fit into the holes 2S and of the key and fulcrumpost respectively. The tensional portion 34 ol the pin-spring then abutsthe outer surface of the instrument. The design of the pin-spring issuch that it also resists vertical distortion and deformation at theelbows, and therefore tends to retain the key in the normal or closedposition. The Figure l5 shows the key and pinspring completely mounted.Here the elbow portion 552-33 is shown fitting into the channels 23S-29.

When the lever 23 is pressed downward or toward the body I9, the keymember assumes the alternate position indicated by the referencecharacter 2B@ of the Figure 2 and the tension of the spring Sil isbrought to bear in the channel 29 against the rear bottoms of the sideportions of the key member'.

The modified form of valve key shown in the Figures l to 14 inclusive issubstantially the same as the preferred form except that it does nothave the vertical and horizontal channels or grooves 28 and 29 thereinand does not have the fiared opening 26. Its opening 26 is straight.

The combination pin and spring 40 is similar to the preferred form ofcombination pin and spring 30. It also utilizes lateral spring tensionto keep the pintle pins 4| in their closed position inside the fulcrumpost and also utilizes vertical tension to provide pressure to keep thenger lever 23 up and the closure portion tightly over the tone hole I6.The modified form of spring, however, does not have the elbow portionsheretofore referred to. In the modied form of key assembly, the pin orforward portion of the pinspring, indicated by the reference characters4| and 42, is stationary and does not turn or rotate with the key as dothe analogous parts of the preferred form of key.

In the Figure 10, the open or alternate position of the key is indicatedby the reference character 20a and the alternate position of thevertically tensional portion 43 of the spring is indicated by thereference character 43a. In the Figure 11 the respective spread or openpositions of the split pins 4| are indicated by the dotted lines lla.

Having thus described the invention in its preferred forms, it is to beunderstood that the embodiments thereof described and illustrated hereinare not to be considered in a limiting sense as there undoubtedly areother forms, modications or adaptations of the invention which may alsobe considered to be within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a fulcrum postthereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having a bodyportion mounted on the aforesaid post, and a spring member having apintle portion connecting the said body portion to the post and atensional portion engaging the instrument and the key member in a mannerwhereby the latter is retained in a normal position.

2. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a fulcrum postthereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having a bodyportion including walls mounted on and beside the aforesaid post, and aspring member having a pintle portion connecting the said body portionto the post and a tensional portion engaging the instrument and the keymember in a manner whereby the latter is retained in a normal position.

3. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a tone hole thereinand a fulcrum post adjacent thereto, a valve, comprising in combination,a key member having a body portion mounted on the aforesaid post, thesaid key member having integral therewith a closure portion normallyclosing the aforesaid tone hole and a lever portion spaced from the saidinstrument, and a spring member having a pintle portion connecting thesaid key member to the post and a tensional portion engaging theinstrument and the lever portion in a manner whereby the closure portionis retained in its closed position.

4. A device of the kind defined in claim 3` and further characterized bythe body portion having grooves therein for receiving the spring member.

5. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a perforated fulcrumpost thereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having abody portion mounted on the aforesaid post, the said body portion havinga lateral hole therein aligned with the perforated fulcrum post, and aspring member having a pintle portion through the said lateral hole andthe perforated fulcrum post and also having a tensional portion engagingthe instrument and the key member in a manner whereby the latter isretained in a normal position.

6. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a perforated fulcrumpost thereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member havingperforated side walls about the aforesaid perforated fulcrum post, and aspring member having a pintle portion through the said perforated sidewalls and the perforated fulcrum post and also having a tensionalportion engaging the instrument and the key member in a manner wherebythe latter is retained in a normal position.

'7. A device of the kind defined in claim 6 and further characterized bythe key member side walls having grooves therein for receiving thespring member.

8. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a tone hole thereinand a perforated fulcrum post adjacent thereto, a valve, comprising incombination, a key member having a body portion mounted on the aforesaidpost, the said body portion having depending walls beside the post, thesaid walls having holes therein aligned with the perforation in the postand also having vertical and horizontal grooves on the outside thereof,the said key member also having a tone hole closure portion and a leverportion integral theremember having a split pintle portion projectingthrough the said aligned holes and perforation, an elbow portionextending through the said vertical and horizontal grooves and a.tensional portion engaging the instrument and the said lever portion ina manner whereby the closure portion normally closes the said tone hole.

9. A device of the kind defined in claim 8 and further characterized bythe side wall holes being flared to facilitate the insertion of thesplit pintle portion.

10. In a valve device, a key, consisting of, a body member including armand lever portions and having side wall portions, the said side wallportions having aligned holes therethrough and channels on the outsidethereof connecting with the said holes.

11. In a valve device, a spring, consisting of, a, length of resilientmaterial bent at a central portion to substantially form laterallyaligned side portions and elbow portions and also bent to formlongitudinally aligned pintle portions, the said side portions beingcapable of resisting vertical deformation at the said elbows and capableof resisting lateral deformation at the said central portion.

with, and a spring MORTON S. BROCKMAN.

